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overuse

[ verb oh-ver-yooz; noun oh-ver-yoos ]

/ verb ˌoʊ vərˈyuz; noun ˈoʊ vərˈyus /

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See synonyms for: overuse / overused / overusing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), o·ver·used, o·ver·us·ing.

to use too much or too often: to overuse an expression.

noun

excessive use: to strain one's voice through overuse.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of overuse

First recorded in 1670–80; over- + use

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use overuse in a sentence

I’m talking about the overuse of headers, tables, bullet and numbered lists, snackable paragraphs, and of course… structured data itself.
The problem with the ‘structured content’ mindset|Mordy Oberstein|November 25, 2020|Search Engine Land
What’s more, their overuse has muddled people’s sense of what Bed Bath & Beyond’s goods cost and are worth.
How Bed Bath & Beyond’s CEO tamed its trademark coupons—and turned the retailer around|Phil Wahba|November 10, 2020|Fortune
In addition to overuse of the trails, a record number of people who have been hurt or lost on the High Peaks have needed rescues this year.
Autumn in the Adirondacks is a mountain do|Debra Bruno|October 30, 2020|Washington Post
Dissatisfied with the lack of what he considered a sufficient long-term contract offer and concerned about overuse, Bell sat out the entire 2018 season.
After their foundation appeared shaken, the Steelers emerged as one of the NFL’s best|Adam Kilgore|October 30, 2020|Washington Post

Human overuse and destruction of natural resources now threaten a cascading, quick collapse of global ecosystems.
Don’t worry, the earth is doomed|Katie McLean|October 21, 2020|MIT Technology Review
While there are a couple of antibiotics that usually work, if they are overused they, too, may cease to be effective.
Without Education, Antibiotic Resistance Will Be Our Greatest Health Crisis|Russell Saunders|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Stars market themselves too aggressively for gay approval, and icon itself is an overused word.
Streisand’s Gay Sex Problem, and the Death of the Gay Icon|Tim Teeman|May 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I probably overused it, but it was really helpful to do good demos with.
Giorgio Moroder, Dance Music Legend, on Remixing Coldplay’s ‘Midnight’ and ‘Crazy’ Lana Del Rey|Douglas Wolk|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And while Mandela was richly deserving of his Nobel Prize and earned the overused appellation "great man," he wasn't a saint.
Nelson Mandela Was Undeniably Great But He Doesn’t Need a Halo|Michael Moynihan|December 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Your Tactical Humorist has previously chronicled this tired and drastically overused bit.
Mitt Romney and Barack Obama Go for Laughs on the Campaign Trail|Mark Katz|February 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
And the overused "editorial we" has now passed entirely from the news article.
News Writing|M. Lyle Spencer
Also, he comes to know the full meaning of that overused and abused word—service.
How To Write Special Feature Articles|Willard Grosvenor Bleyer
This word has been greatly overused; it is best restricted to ingenuity displayed in small matters.
The Elements of Style|William Strunk
His voice was sensitive to liquids, but he overused the word "glorious."
Main Street|Sinclair Lewis
The voice will keep, and it will be sweeter and fresher if it is not overused in childhood.
Great Singers on the Art of Singing|James Francis Cooke

British Dictionary definitions for overuse

over-use

verb (ˌəʊvəˈjuːz) (tr)

to use excessively

noun (ˌəʊvəˈjuːs)

excessive use

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012